Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets

Chapter 1289: Chapter 1289: I’m Not Someone Else

The hibiscus flowers are blooming beautifully. In the garden, a little girl wears a red dress with a white jacket, her long black and smooth hair tied into a princess style. She has a small crown pinned to her hair and her baby-fat hasn’t fully disappeared, making her face look a bit chubby. Her large, round dark apricot eyes sparkle like stars in the sky.

Her voice is crisp and melodious, as delightful as a golden oriole.

Meng Yanzhi gazes at her without blinking, thinking how her eyes are just like Tang Yue’s, and her features seem to combine all the best aspects of Tang Yue and Meng Siyu, making him want to look at her a little longer.

"Who are you? Why are you at my grandparents’ house?"

"Why have I never seen you before?"

Curious, Chenchen looks at Meng Yanzhi. She’s grown up seeing many handsome and beautiful people, whether her own parents, her two uncles, Aunt Qin, or Aunt Qing—they’re all handsome and pretty. From a young age, Chenchen has liked beautiful things. Meng Yanzhi before her seems different, yet he looks good.

Chenchen particularly likes looking at his eyes. When he focuses on her, he resembles her uncles.

"My name is Meng Yanzhi." Meng Yanzhi steps forward and squats in front of Chenchen, sparing her from having to strain her neck to look up at him.

Who is Meng Yanzhi?

A relative?

Chenchen tilts her head, pondering.

Meeting the little girl’s puzzled gaze, Meng Yanzhi smiles gently and explains, "You should call me Uncle. Your father and I..."

Meng Yanzhi pauses and adds, "are brothers."

"Why have I never seen you before?" Chenchen blinks, questioning, as if assessing the truth of his words.

"Because..." Meng Yanzhi lowers his eyes and then looks up at her, saying, "Because I’ve been away for a long time, only recently returned, so you haven’t seen me."

"Oh, hello, Uncle Meng." Chenchen greets obediently.

Meng Yanzhi asks, "Can you tell me your name?"

Even though he already knows her name from the information, he still wants to ask her personally.

"My nickname is Chenchen, and my full name is Meng Shuqing, ’Shu’ for cloudy or clear skies, and ’Qing’ for sunny weather." Chenchen introduces herself earnestly, her smile making her eyes bend in a particularly charming way.

"Meng Shuqing." Meng Yanzhi repeats the name softly, praising, "That sounds lovely."

"I think it’s nice too."

Chenchen beams with a sweet smile, her expression clear and innocent.

"By the way, this is for you." Meng Yanzhi takes out a gift he had prepared from his pocket and hands it over, saying, "This is a Peace Pendant; wearing it offers safety, wishing you a safe and happy childhood."

Tied to a red string, the Peace Pendant is entirely translucent and smooth, captivating just by its appearance.

Chenchen loves beautiful things. Seeing the lovely Peace Pendant, she is tempted, but she firmly shakes her head saying, "Uncle, my dad and mom said I shouldn’t accept gifts from others lightly."

Though she likes this Peace Pendant, if she wants it, she can ask her parents to buy it, and her uncles have given many Peace Pendants as well, though the one they gave was green, different from this white one.

"But I’m not ’others,’ I’m your uncle, your real uncle. This gift is a meeting present," Meng Yanzhi clarifies. Seeing Chenchen’s liking, he is also delighted, having chosen this Peace Pendant after much deliberation.

Meng Yanzhi looks at Chenchen, with a supposedly hurt expression if she were to refuse, saying, "Chenchen, it’s my first time meeting you, isn’t it nice to accept this meeting gift? Just like receiving gifts from your uncles, or do you not want me to be your uncle?"

"Or does Chenchen think Uncle’s gift isn’t pretty enough?" Meng Yanzhi takes a step back, knowing Chenchen is smarter than average kids, yet still a child, especially since she likes this Peace Pendant.

"Uncle’s gift is good looking." She shakes her head, her gaze landing on the Peace Pendant in Meng Yanzhi’s hand. She wonders if uncles and him are the same, then maybe she can accept this gift?

"Chenchen, since you like it, shall I put it on you?" Meng Yanzhi looks expectantly at Chenchen, saying, "It’s Uncle’s first gift to you, you won’t refuse, right?"

Thinking it over, Chenchen takes the Peace Pendant happily, saying, "Then thank you, Uncle."

Meng Yanzhi watches the Peace Pendant land in her hand, his gaze tender. He’s unsure why he felt urged at first sight to buy it and gift it to the little girl.

"Chenchen."

When Meng Siyu and Tang Yue arrive, Meng Yanzhi is putting the Peace Pendant on Chenchen. It hangs just right on her, perfectly suited and charming, especially fitting for Chenchen, neither too large nor cumbersome, growing up with it still equally attractive.

"Daddy."

Upon hearing her dad’s voice, Chenchen immediately spreads her arms, rushing to Meng Siyu, her joyous manner contrasting with her earlier guarded approach to Meng Yanzhi, which fills Meng Yanzhi with a tinge of envy.

"Daddy, Uncle gave me this. Does it look good?" Chenchen, cuddled in Meng Siyu’s arms, starts to gleefully show off the newly received gift.

Meng Siyu glances at the Peace Pendant on her neck, saying, "Why did you accept gifts from others so casually?"

"But he said he’s your brother, my uncle." Chenchen responds seriously, tilting her head and asking, "Did Uncle deceive me, is he not Daddy’s brother, not my uncle?"

Chenchen’s clear eyes look earnestly at Meng Siyu, questioning.

Meng Siyu: "..."

He doesn’t want to recognize Meng Yanzhi as a brother, but nominally, Meng Yanzhi is Meng Jin’s adopted son, naturally, that makes him nominally his brother.

"Long time no see." Meng Yanzhi stands up, his gaze falls on Meng Siyu’s family of three, finally resting on Tang Yue. Previously, he saw her at a concert, but too far to see clearly. Up close now, Meng Yanzhi finds she hasn’t changed at all from what he recalls.

Meng Siyu steps forward, just in time to block Meng Yanzhi’s gaze. He says, "Indeed, it’s been a long time."

He’s different from before, less flashy, now steady and calm, with a deep gaze that makes it hard to discern what the current Meng Yanzhi thinks.

"Me giving the child a gift as an uncle, you wouldn’t mind, right?" Meng Yanzhi speaks as if meeting a regular old friend, "I also prepared a gift for Zaozao, I’ll give it to him later."